City Road D, Amherst, WI:
Some big dreams fit well into small spaces. The owner, a retired nurse
with an active massage therapy practice, decided to move from Chicago
to be near her children and grandchildren outside Steven’s Point,
Wisconsin. Years earlier she had purchased a wooded plot of land that
featured a slow slope to a creek bed that is a haven for a community
of indigenous birds and animals.
Her
dream was to build a small house that provided her adequate space to
pursue her massage therapy practice, entertain her family and commune
with the natural surroundings. The 1000 sq. ft. house features one
large room containing a double height living area and adjacent dining
and kitchen spaces. These rooms are supported by features that “scale”
the open space to specific uses: the kitchen has a built-in corner
banquette, surrounded with windows; the dining area has a low gabled
ceiling to focus the attention on the table; and the living space has
a large, south facing window group to frame the sky, distant trees and
nearby prairie. A stair near the front entrance ascends to an open
sleeping loft for visitors. The exterior shape resembles a barn
featuring a gambrel roof- complete with hoist hoods. This was chosen
because of its association with the owner’s Iowa roots and rural life;
it also provides useful volume with economic roof construction. Parts
of the roof form are carved away to signify the entrance and to
emphasize views. The simple box formed by the walls of the house is
similarly manipulated, as parts of the floor area contained within the
perimeter of the roof are left open to adjacent deck spaces from
which the owner can enjoy the surroundings with full protection from
the elements.
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